


I Won't Forget

by arcanathirst



Series: Looking for Home [7]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Fluff, Multi, Original Character(s), Pre-Canon, can be read as platonic or romantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 08:59:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17485151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcanathirst/pseuds/arcanathirst
Summary: Just another day in Muriel's life, watching over the shop and the energetic airhead apprentice living there while Asra's away. As usual. At least it was supposed to be just the usual...





	I Won't Forget

**Author's Note:**

> God, Muriel is so adorable & I just HAD to write a little something with him and Mine. But somewhere along the way it became an OT3 fic... I really can't include Asra without shipping him with my apprentice lol
> 
> Regardless, I hope you enjoy it!

It was a warm night, too warm for Muriel. It was still early into summer, which meant the heat would only worsen in the coming days.

The forest was always cool, shielding him from the sun’s harsh rays, but the city seemed to absorb the heat into its very stone. Even after sunset, everything felt hot and sticky. He almost wanted to take off his cloak.

But he didn’t.

People didn’t like it when Muriel took off his cloak or even just pulled down the hood. They didn’t like him much when he was wearing the cloak either, but it wasn’t as bad. Not as bad as when their eyes dropped to the mess of scars across his body or locked onto his face, their expressions pale and fearful.

At least there weren’t many people coming this way after dark.

If only the person he was waiting for would hurry up and pass through, then he could finally _, finally_ get home to a nice, quiet evening by the fire with Inanna.

He glanced at the door of the magic shop, almost as if it would make the apprentice living there appear. He knew staring at the door and thinking hard had never made Asra appear; Mine would certainly be no different.

He drummed his fingers against his thigh. Where in the world were they? It had been hours since they’d left the shop, hours since Muriel had tried and failed to keep up with them through Vesuvia’s crowds.

In the end, he had returned to the alley and waited.

True, Mine was often out running errands– and generally running around the place– when Asra was not around, but….had they ever been out this long? This late?

His throat tightened.

Were they alright?

No, it was Mine, sunny and careless and a little too loud, but always pulling through, regardless of the odds.

But what if, tonight was the night they couldn’t beat the odds?

No, no, it couldn’t be.

And yet...this was Mine, the one who got into bar fights and fist fights and verbal fights, all kinds of fights really. The one who came back bleeding and bruised more often than anyone liked. The one who always came back with a smile and their head held high, no matter how badly they were beaten up.

Yes, they would come back. Of course they would. Of course...

With an irritated sigh, Muriel slipped out of the alley into the street and began casting a search spell. He thought of Mine, that soft, chubby figure that could never keep still; those big brown eyes that always seemed to be laughing; that loud, clear voice that he could pick out anywhere.

He felt a twinge, a tug at the edge of his consciousness, and he let it pull him to where Mine was.

As the pull grew stronger, his worry grew deeper.

He was making his way to a dangerous part of town. It had been old and poor even before Lucio had come along. After the plague, it was nothing but crumbling brick and garbage, most of its inhabitants had either fled or died.

Now the most desperate lived here, trying to take what little shelter the ruined buildings had to offer.

Of course, Mine would end up somewhere here. Where else would they be?

_Certainly not somewhere safe._

Sensible was not a word Muriel would use to describe Mine.

He stopped in front of what was maybe a government building at some point, or possibly an apartment many years ago. Much of the building was exposed, the walls falling apart. All of the windows had been smashed in, one of the frames sticking haphazardly out, threatening to fall on any passerbys. Weeds sprung out from numerous corners.

There was a brick staircase at the side leading to the roof. Well, almost, if some of the brick hadn’t collapsed partway.

Sitting some ways up the staircase was a lone, familiar figure.

“Mine!”

“Yes?” They stared down at him, a dreamy vacant expression on their face.

He opened his mouth to scold them, before realizing what he was doing. He wasn’t supposed to be here, in front of them, talking to them. He should, he should be in the shadows, watching and waiting like he always did.

He took a deep breath. It didn’t matter they were seeing him now, they’d forget soon enough.

In a calmer voice, he said, “What are you doing here?”

They shrugged. “Looking at the stars, I guess.”

“You couldn’t do that at the shop?”

“I could.” They looked back towards the sky and Muriel came closer until one foot rested on the first step. “It’s so calm, isn’t it?”

“.....It, is.” He supposed it was, for a place like this.

They closed their eyes and sighed, sounding content. “It’s times like this, y’know, when everything is quiet and slow, it feels like, like you could stop and take a breath. Like the whole world is slowing down.”

Their expression was almost serene, and their entire posture was relaxed. He’d never seen them so calm and peaceful.

All of a sudden, they turned to him, as if seeing him for the first time. “Sorry, who are you again?”

“Uh….” They couldn’t have already forgotten him. They hadn’t even looked at him properly to begin with!

“Are you lost too?”

Oh. That explained, a lot.

Mine patted the spot beside them. “Do you want to join me?”

He pulled back for a moment, but thought better of it. He trudged up the stairs before plopping himself next to them.

They gave him a smile before their attention went back to the sky. Looking closer, they did seem to be tired.

“Do you…. want to sleep?” he asked. He didn’t mind watching over them, and he could carry them back to the shop if they were really tired.

Mine shook their head. “Asra said it’s dangerous to sleep outside. In Vesuvia, at least.”

Muriel nodded. Previous experience had proven that to be true.

“I tried looking for the way home earlier. I ended up here, and I was too tired to look anymore. I’ll wait until the sun comes up.”

“Why?”

“Maybe it’ll be easier in the daylight. It’s definitely easier to ask for directions in the morning.”

“.....OK.” That didn’t make much sense, but Mine didn’t seem to mind.

He leaned back and tilted his head upwards. In this area with its poor lighting, it became much easier to see the mass of stars above.

“Look.” Mine lifted a hand and started to make shapes in the air. “If you connect the dots– stars I mean– you can get shapes.”

Like constellations.

“See, that’s a narwhal, not a whale ‘cuz it’s got a horn like a unicorn. Over there’s a frog and it’s got raindrops floating around it– wait, no, they’re bubbles! Hah, that fits much better.” They nodded, looking satisfied.

He stared at them in disbelief. “Those aren’t constellations!”

“Oh, I don’t really know those. Isn’t it kinda hard to tell? My thing’s way more fun.”

“It’s not about fun.”

“It isn’t?”

He pointed to a group of stars. As he made out the shape with his finger, he said, “That, is Ursa Major. If you follow it…”

“Ooo, hey, that star over there is really bright, huh? Is it a part of a constellation too?”

He nodded. “It’s part of...mine.”

“Yours?”

“My sign... Virgo...” He faltered, feeling embarrassed.

“Virgo, eh? How do you make that shape?” They waved their finger wildly. “Hey, I think I can make a face out of them, look, it’s a granny. And she’s smiling!” They laughed, their teeth flashing.

“You’re silly.”

“Yeah, I am.” Mine grinned. “And you’re smiling.”

“No, I’m not,” he mumbled, his face burning. It was a good thing it was so dark. “I’m not going to show you Virgo.”

“What? Nooo, don’t be like that. Please? I’ll listen properly, promise.”

“O-OK. As, as long as you’re not noisy.”

“Zipping my lips.” They made a zipping gesture, looking at him earnestly.

Somehow, his face felt even hotter.

“Uh, then... here’s how you find Virgo.”

“Is it supposed to be a horse? No, a bird?”

“It’s….a person.”

“Ohh. Huh?” They scrunched their face at the stars. “Constellations are so weird.”

“They’re not.”

“You’re cool though, knowing all this stuff.”

“W-what?? You, you don’t know what you’re saying!”

“Yes I do. Betcha know a ton more, clever clogs.” Their grin was a lot like Asra’s, mischievous and teasing. If it was a little brighter, it would be very easy to tell Muriel had turned the shade of a tomato.

“I don’t. Go home already.”

They pulled back, and for a moment, Muriel worried they were upset.

“Can’t, dawn’s still far away.” Their tone remained unchanged, which made him relax. “Speaking of home, don’t you need to head back to your place too?”

“No.”

“So you were lost!”

He really wasn’t.

“That’s fine, we can just stay here together. You and me, watching the stars and stuff. Hmm, maybe we should talk about other things–hey, do you like magic?”

Muriel knew very well about Mine’s deep obsession over magic, and he wasn’t about to give them a chance to launch into a spiel about the syntax of magical incantations. Asra’s stories had told him all he needed to know.

“Let’s...not. Uh, I could show you the way back. If you want.”

“Really?” They perked up. So they had wanted to return after all. They stood up, bouncing on the balls of their feet. “Lead the way, friend.”

 _Friend_. Did they only know how to say embarrassing things?

“We’re not friends,” he mumbled.

“We’re not??” While the exclamation was loud, it also sounded genuinely hurt. They deflated, looking disappointed.

“Because you don’t know my name,” he said quickly.

“Oh.” They brightened. _That was easy._ “What’s your name then?” This was not.

He paused. “....Muriel.”

“Muriel, what a lovely name.” They giggled. “Y’know, I’m so bad with remembering names. It’s sooo embarrassing to ask, especially when the other person knows your name. I’m glad you figured me out.”

He hadn’t.

“Sure,” he said, starting to walk in the direction of the shop, while Mine took hurried strides to catch up.

“I won’t forget your name this time. I’ll write it down!” They paused, rummaging through their bag, then their pockets. “When I get home.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to forget you. My, my memory’s pretty bad as it is. I, I...I don’t want to lose anything else important.”

His heart ached, to his surprise.

Mine had lost almost everything during the plague. Their family, their loved ones, their magic, and it wasn’t sure if they’d be able to return to their life from before. Not with the way things were currently going.

What could he say? What could Muriel say that Asra hadn’t tried already, always with disastrous consequences? What could be said that wouldn’t end up hurting Mine?

“....I’m sorry, Mine.”

“Eh? What for? Seriously, you have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I should be saying sorry, forgetting your name and all. Oh, I should thank you too! Since you’ve helped me so much today.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You did. You hung out with me and showed me constellations. You’re helping me get home. And we’re friends now too. You’ve given me a lot, I’d say.”

He grunted. Even if he said no, they would barrel on ahead.

But… it wasn’t unpleasant, to be liked by someone like this.

“Hey, are you gonna be around tomorrow?”

If Asra was still away, he would. “....Maybe”

“If you are, drop by my shop. I’ll treat you to a loaf of pumpkin bread. The one at the market’s really good.”

“...I don’t like crowds.”

“Oh, well, I’ll just buy the loaves and we can eat them at my shop. I’ll make tea too.”

He didn’t respond, still thinking of a reply–excuse– in his head.

“Or do you not like pumpkin bread? I love it, but to each their own I suppose. Hmm, what else could we get– ooo, what about–”

“Pumpkin bread is fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“OK! I’ll buy the bread tomorrow and we’ll enjoy them together.” They were close to the shop now, their surroundings more brightly lit. That also meant Mine’s bright smile was much clearer as well.

Muriel didn’t want to make a promise he couldn’t keep. He didn’t want to lie to them, not when they seemed so excited at the prospect of the two of them meeting again.

But he knew things would end the way they always did. Mine would forget and go about their life, and he would always be watching from afar.

“I don’t know if I can come,” he managed at last.

“You’re not gonna be here tomorrow? When will you be here then? I’ll mark down the date.”

“That’s, that’s not what I–” He sighed. “I don’t know if we can meet again.”

They frowned. “Why not?”

He stopped and jerked his head in the shop’s direction. “Here we are.”

Mine turned back. “That was faster than I thought– wait, wait, no, don’t distract me. Why can’t we meet again, Muriel?”

“It’s….hard to explain.”

“Try then.”

He sighed. “I can’t.”

“You don’t like me? You, you–” They continued in a quieter voice, “don’t want to be friends?” They looked like they might cry.

“No, it’s not that… I…” He threw them a pleading glance, hoping they would understand his inner turmoil, somehow. “I can’t. I’m sorry, Mine.”

They looked away, their trembling lips pursed together. Their eyes started to glisten.

He twiddled his fingers nervously. One second passed, and another, and another, and another, and then it seemed like too much time had passed for him to say anything.

Should he just leave now?

“I’m still going to do it,” Mine said firmly, breaking the silence. “Tomorrow, I’ll buy an extra loaf and I’ll wait right here.”

“But–”

“It doesn’t matter if you come or not. I’m going to be here anyway.” A tear escaped their eye and they wiped it away with their finger. “I want to be your friend, Muriel. Please.”

“...You already are.”

They immediately turned to look at him, eyes wide and hopeful. They whispered, “Really?”

He nodded.

Their entire face lit up. At the same time, tears started rolling down their cheeks.

Muriel gaped, internally panicking.

“It’s fine, it’s fine, I’m just really happy! Well, I’m happy now. I was upset earlier, but it’s fine, really. I get like this a lot.” They rubbed their eyes with their sleeve, before giving a wide smile. “See? Totally fine.”

“OK…” he said, unconvinced.

“I really am happy.”

“Just from that?”

“Yup!” Their smile wavered. “You, you meant it, right? That we were friends.”

“...Yes.”

“Then I’m definitely happy.” They reached out their hands, only for Muriel to flinch back. “Sorry, sorry, I’ll keep my hands to myself. Are you OK? Sorry, Muriel.”

“‘S fine. Just... no sudden movements.”

“Got it.”

He nodded. “I’ll be… going now. I guess.”

“OK. Thanks again, Muriel, for everything.”

“It was nothing.”

“It wasn’t.” They unlocked the door and the wards. “I’ll still be here tomorrow.”

“You don’t–”

“Well, we never know what might happen. Just in case your plans change or something, I’ll have an extra loaf ready for you.”

Nothing would change. He knew that, he did, and yet…

“We’ll see,” he said gruffly. “Don’t get your hopes up.”

They beamed. “I’m looking forward to it!”

“I said not to get your hopes up.”

“OK, OK.” They pulled the door open and took one last look at him. “I hope I’ll see you again though.”

“Goodbye, Mine.”

“Goodbye, Muriel.”

The door shut with a click, and only after he heard the sounds of the locks being turned did Muriel leave.

When he reached the alley, he turned back to gaze at the shop, and a small part of him couldn’t help but hope too, that maybe tomorrow would be different.  


* * *

 

When Mine came downstairs the next day, they weren’t alone.

“Faust!” they exclaimed, running towards the snake. They lifted up their arm and Faust happily coiled around it. “And hello to you too, master. Welcome back.”

“Good morning, Mine,” Asra said, planting a kiss on top of their head. “How were things while I was away?”

“Pretty good. I delivered all the orders, found out what aquaculture was–it’s not about underwater societies so that was disappointing–, and um, what else...oh I got lost yesterday.”

“Did you get into any trouble?”

“Nope. I took the wrong turn or something, and basically spent hours wandering the city until I got tired. I almost gave up y’know. I found a nice staircase to rest on, see, and I was gonna stay there until dawn, and then…” Their voice trailed off, and they frowned.

“Then what?”

“I don’t... know. I’m sure I must have moved at some point because I woke up in bed, in my pyjamas, and, and I remember coming in through the door, and telling myself over and over to write this reminder–” They looked down at one of the cloth knots around the base of their finger. On it was  scrawled ‘ _Extra Loaf’_.  In a quiet voice, they said, “Why did I write this?”

“Mine.” Asra grasped their shoulders, his touch firm but gentle. “Deep breaths.”

They did as they were told, inhaling and exhaling a few times. They placed a hand on his. “I’m, I’m OK, nothing...hurts, but why don’t I remember what happened last night?” Brown darted up to meet amethyst. “Did something happen?”

“It’s nothing,” Asra assured. He shifted his hands to pull them into a hug. “You, you just had a little episode yesterday. A headache. It wasn’t anything big.”

“Then, then you brought me home?”

“Yes. I’m glad you’re feeling better now.”

“I, am.” They slowly rested their head on Asra’s shoulder, their free arm wrapping around his waist.

That was a plausible story. They’d had a headache on their way home, Asra just happened to arrive that same night and he had saved them. Like he always did.

But why had they entered the shop alone last night? What about the new cloth knot on their finger?

“Do you want me to get breakfast? I can get your favorite bread.”

“No.” They pushed him off gently, while Faust slithered away to curl around his shoulders. “I want to do that myself today. You just came back, right? You should take a break, master.”

Secrets. There were always going to be secrets between them, hanging unspoken and heavy in the gaps.

The two of them had agreed to trust the other, and Mine did trust him, always. It’s just, it was times like this that he felt very, very far away, despite being so close.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, worry flashing in his expressions.

“I just missed you. I always do. Please rest, master, and let me take care of everything.”

Before Asra could say anything, Mine was already out the door.

“It’s OK,” they said to themself. The how and what of last night’s events didn’t really matter. Mine had returned home safe and sound, and Asra was here with them. They would just have to forget all their questions for now.

Mine trusted Asra, and they had to trust that he was keeping those secrets for a reason.

 _He trusts me too_. Maybe not enough to tell them everything, but enough so they knew he believed in them.

_And I believe in him._

That was the most important thing, wasn’t it? That the two of them had faith in each other.

“Alright, let’s go get that bread!” they exclaimed loudly, causing a few stares. Ducking their head, they rushed in the direction of the marketplace.  
  


* * *

 

Despite Mine’s requests, Asra did not take a rest.

Instead, he had found out exactly what happened last night. There was no scent of myrrh but his magic traced a familiar aura that had been present at the shop last night.

“No wonder Mine forgot everything.” Maybe Muriel had been the one to guide Mine home, and as usual, all memory of him disappeared the moment the door closed. “How did they write the reminder then?”

He shook his head, and went about preparing the table for breakfast. Summer meant cold lychee, and for an added twist, Asra added a few drops of color to the drinks. A bit of berry juice, some crushed leaves, all edible.

The drink looked magical as wisps of orange, green and pink made paths in the colorless liquid. “Perfect.”

He heard the door open and shut, then, “Master, I’m home.”

“Upstairs,” he called back.

Mine appeared at the doorway, two– three loaves in hand.

“Lychee!” Their face lit up with delight. They came closer, cooing at the colors. “You made it all pretty too.”

“A little treat for you. I brought back some more lychees, they’re in the kitchen. They’ll last a few days, and a few more drinks.”

“Does that mean we could drink lychee every day?” they asked, their voice hushed and filled with wonder.

“Naturally, Mine.”

“Yay! Thank you!” They threw their arms around him, pressing the fresh loaves against his skin.

He squeaked in surprise at the sensation.

“Oops, sorry.” They backed away. “But thank you so much, master! You’re my best magic teacher ever.”

His lips quirked upwards. “I’m your only magic teacher.”

“And that makes you the best.”

“I see.”

Both of them sat down and Mine placed two loaves on the table, leaving one in their hand.

“Hungry?”

“It’s not for me.”

He raised his eyebrows. “For me?”

“If you want. It’s just, I kept thinking about that reminder, and I thought why not, y’know. It was obviously important enough that I kept repeating ‘write extra loaf reminder’ until I wrote it down.”

“You did? How does that work?”

“My memory’s bad, right? Like, sometimes, I’ll go into a room and immediately forget what I came in for.”

He nodded. That did happen a lot.

“So if I want to remember something, sometimes I’ll keep repeating the thing I wanted to do until I do it. It works, more or less. Like even if my mind can’t remember, my mouth does.”

That’s how they had written down the reminder. “That’s a pretty good trick.”

“Hehe, thanks. Let’s dig in. Jemput makan.”

“Jemput makan, Mine.”

“Hey, you said it right this time!”

“You’re not the only one who’s been practicing their Balayu.” He winked, and Mine giggled.

Without another word, they dug into their meal with great gusto, spending the rest of the morning talking and exchanging stories.  
  


* * *

  

The afternoon sun beat down on the forest, but the canopy filtered out the heat so only tiny rays of sunshine got through. Just how Muriel liked it.

“Muriel~” a familiar voice called out.

He turned, and gave a small smile to the person running over to him. “What are you doing here, Asra?”

“Came to see you, of course. How’s my best friend doing?”

“Fine. What do you want?”

Asra burst into laughter, lightly slapping Muriel’s arm. “I can’t visit my best and oldest friend out of the goodness of my heart?”

“...Have you ever done that?”

He guffawed some more, and Muriel felt his smile widen.

“I’m actually here to give you a little something.”

Had he gotten something strange again on one of his trips? “I don’t need–”

“It’s not a trinket or a decoration, even if your house could use it.”

Muriel huffed.

“A splash of color wouldn’t be bad once in a while,” Asra said in a singsong voice.

“So is walking through poison ivy. What did you want to give me?”

“Here.” Asra reached inside the bag and pulled out a still-warm loaf.

A jolt of surprise went through Muriel.

“Mine bought an extra loaf today, and I thought you might like it.”

“What about you?”

Asra smiled. “The thing is, Mine bought _three_ loaves today. I was there when they woke up so they were already going to get my share.”

He blinked, words failing him for a moment. His voice dropped to barely a whisper, “....why?”

“Apparently, after Mine came home last night, they wrote down a reminder telling them to buy an extra loaf. They didn’t know why or who it was for.” He glanced up slyly at Muriel. “But I can guess.”

“That’s…” It was a lot of things, to be honest. “Impossible.”

“They were very insistent on getting this loaf. It felt important, they said.”

Muriel hesitated, but with Asra’s gentle, encouraging gaze, he managed to accept the loaf, his hands shaking. “...thank you.”

“You shouldn’t be thanking me. I should be thanking you really, for bringing Mine home last night.”

“It was nothing.”

“It wasn’t.”

Muriel snorted. “They said the same thing last night.”

“You two had a good night then.”

His cheeks flushed and his eyes darted away. “We...sat on some stairs. Looked at the stars.”

“Sounds like a lovely date to me.”

“It _wasn’t._ ”

“Whatever you say, Muri. Did you, like it?”

Muriel was silent. He pinched a piece of bread off, rubbing it into a ball between his fingers. “...I think so.”

“That’s great.”

“They forgot me, didn’t they?”

A shadow passed over Asra’s face.

Muriel popped the piece into his mouth. He already knew this would happen; there was no reason to feel disappointed.

“They didn’t want to. They tried to remember.”

“It doesn’t work like that.”

“They managed to write down a reminder this time! You, you could–”

“No. It’s...better this way. It’s what we’ve been doing for years.”

“Muri…”

“You didn’t teach them constellations properly,” he interrupted.

“Excuse me?”

“Last night...they were just making up shapes with the stars. It was, silly.”

“Was it now? That must have been fun.”

Without realizing it, Muriel had been smiling again. He turned his face away, covering the lower half with his hand.

Asra chuckled. “Just be honest, Muri. Come on.”

“No. Go away, Asra.”

“Do you really want me to go away? Hmmm?”

Muriel rolled his eyes. “You’re annoying.”

“But you love me.” Asra wrapped his arms around Muriel’s arm and squeezed it to his body.

“Wrong. Go home to Mine already. Clingy.”

“I’ll go after you’re done with the bread~ Let’s talk for a while. Hasn’t it been ages since we’ve just hung out and talked?”

“...I don’t want to.”

“Awww, Muri, please? Pretty, pretty please? Pretty just like your eyes?”

He could feel the blush creeping up his neck. “...Fine. Just, be quieter.”

“I’ll try~”

He sighed, shaking his head, and started trudging on the path to his hut, with Asra on his arm filling the silence with chatter.

Muriel glanced down at the bread, before bringing it up to his mouth and taking a large bite.

It was warm and sweet, too much like Mine for his taste. But for a heartbeat, with Asra talking, and the wind making music amongst the leaves overhead, it was almost like the three of them were all together.

Even if everyone else forgot this moment, Muriel never would.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading :]
> 
>  **Notes**  
>  \- 'Jemput makan' is a Malay phrase commonly uttered before/during meals. The literal meaning is 'let's eat' and can also mean an invitation to a meal
> 
> \- Cold lychee refers to [this](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Ew4LcSpv-w4/SE9JIyJf9CI/AAAAAAAAAPY/5q3GPzWPqdo/s400/Air+Laici.jpg)


End file.
